Trace-buckle.



W. M. GIFPEE.

TRACE BUCKLE APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1908.

Patented May 10, 1910.

Wibwmozo WILLIAM M. GIFFEE, 0F GREEN, KANSAS.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters IPatent.

Application filed November 25, 1908.

Patented May it), 19ft). Serial No. 464,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. GIFFEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Green, in the county of Clay and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in harness trace buckles and it embodies a trace buckle of a novel construction which provides for the ready attachment to and removal of the buckle from the hame tug and avoids the necessity of sewing the buckle to the tug, as in the constructlons ordinarily employed.

I accomplish the foregoing objects by the novel construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings made a part hereof, in which similar parts are indicated by like characters of reference and in which- Figure'l is a plan View of a hame-tug, and side-strap, or trace with my improved trace buckle and also with a breeching buckle which may be advantageously employed in this connection as the same appears when placed in position on a horse or other draft animal; Fig. 2 is an edge View of same; Fig. 3, a reverse view thereof; Fig. 4, a sectional view of the tracebuckle open and detached from the harness; Fig. 5, a detail view of the breeching-buckle; and Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of construction of my trace-buckle.

A represents the hame-tug; B, the trace; 0, the trace-buckle, and D, the breechingbuckle. The trace-buckle C is constructed in two parts hinged together by means of the pivot 2. The under portion thereof consists of a plate provided with lateral longitudinal projections G at right angles to the plate which at the forward or end opposite to said pivot is extended and formed into the hook 4:. To facilitate the attachmentand removal of the trace-buckle the under portion may be of modified construction with the hook 4 separable therefrom as shown in Fig. 6. In this case the hook at is made separate from the lateral projections G, and the rear ends 4? thereof extended and provided with eyes or punctures which aline with corresponding eyes or punctures in the front ends of said lateral projections 0', whereby, a pivot or bolt being inserted therethrough, the hook 4; is attached to the under portion of said buckle. The upper portion 1 of said buckle has jaws 5 projecting to an equal distance with said hook ff- Said upper portion 1 is also provided with the stud 3, which, when the buckle is in use, penetrates one of the adjusting punctures a in the tug A and projects into the orifice (L The trace B is provided with a metal attaching plate 7 secured thereto by means of rivets 8 and formed into a loop having a swelled head 9. In constructing the breeching-buckle D the middle portion 12 of the front cross-piece is offset so as to form shoulders and avoid lateral sliding of the end of the doubled hame-tug which is clamped by means of the rivets 11. In applying this form of my device, I first slide the left hand end of the hame-tug A through the trace-buckle between the lateral projections C, the strap passing out through opening 6, then secure the buckle G thereto as indicated by passing the pin 3 through a hole a. The trace B is passed through the loop 13 of the breeching-buckle and the head 9 of the plate 7 is engaged under the bill of the hook land over the jaws 5, when the trace, being drawn taut, flattens out so that the swelled portion or head 9 fills the space between said prong and said jaws, thus securing the trace in place.

In the use of the modified form of the trace buckle, the same may be readily detached or attached by removing or replacing the bolts 2 and 14. This dispenses with the necessity of disconnecting the end of the strap A. Likewise an adjustment of the position of the trace buckle may be made without disconnecting the straps A and B from one another. This is effected by removing the bolt 14 so as to separate the body and bill of the buckle, the body remaining upon the strap A. The body of the buckle may then be adjusted to a desired position and again be connected with the bill by the bolt 14 in the manner explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trace buckle comprising a bottom plate having longitudinal side flanges, and having also a hook at its forward end, the hook being wholly out of the plane of the plate and having its under port-ion terminating short of the forward end of the plate so that a transverse slot is afforded, an upper plate pivoted between the side flanges adjacent the rear ends thereof and having strap engaging means, the upper plate in its operative position being in substantially the same plane as the under portion of the hook and having an extended jaw which is disposed adjacent to said under portion in combination with a strap which extends axially of the buckle between the side flanges and the upper and bottom plates and projects through the said transverse slot and a second strap having a loop provided at its end for engagement in the hook and over the extended jaw to thereby maintain the upper plate in its operative position.

2. A trace buckle comprising a bottom plate having strap securing means associated therewith, a hook shaped member having an opening through which the strap secured by the strap securing means is passed, and means for detachably connecting the member and the plate.

3. A trace buckle comprising a bottom plate having side flanges between which a strap may be passed, means associated with the bottom plate for removably securing the strap, a hook shaped member also having side flanges and having an opening through which the strap is also passed and a bolt passing through the side flanges of the plate and of the member and constituting a means for detachably connecting the plate and the member.

41. A trace buckle, comprising a bottom plate, a strap securing plate pivoted thereto and having an extended jaw at its free end and a hook shaped member detachably connected to the bottom plate adjacent the jaw, the member being constructed to provide a transverse slot between the member and the bottom plate and through which a strap may be passed in combination with a separable securing part which is engaged under the bill of the hook shaped member and over the j aw the latter being disposed at one side of the bill of the hook shaped member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. GIFFEE.

\Vitnesses Ross GIFFEE, DONALD DAVIES. 

